Method for aerating liquids



May 10, 1938. L. ROUSH ET AL METHOD FOR AERATING LIQUIDS Filed July 30, 1934 ATTORNEYS Patented May 10, 1938 A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD FOR AERATING LIQUIDS Lee Roush, Beaver, and Curtis Riedel, New

Brighton, Pa., assignors to The Hobart Manufacgliring Company, Troy, Ohio, a corporation of o 1 Application July 30, 1934, Serial No. 737,552

. Claims. (01. 99-450) This invention relates to the aeration of liqdrive [4 to an air pump iii. The air pump may uids, and more particularly to the aerating or be of any suitable construction such as to sup- Wmpping of cream ply air under suitable pressure for use in the It is the principal object of the invention to r i process. The outlet of the pump is 5 provide a simple and effective method of introprovided with a control valve l6 having an ex- 5 ducing air into the liquid in minute streams of tended operating handle I! positioned on the finely divided bubbles; and to provide simple and exterior of the housing It, air being supplied effective apparatus for carrying out such method. under controlled pressure to a conduit l8. The Other objects and advantages of the invenconduit I8 extends through the housing in and tion will be apparent from the description and is formed of suitable flexible material to provide 10 claims set out below, and from the accompanyfor the ready manipulation thereof. m drawing. An air distributing structure indicated gener- In the drawing, in which like characters inally at 2'!) is attached to the conduit l8, such dicate like parts throughout the several views distributing means comprisinganon-flexible supthereof, Porting tube 2| having a tapering connection 22 15 Fig. l is a view in elevation of apparatus confor removably receiving the end of the flexible structed and arranged for carrying out the methconduit l8. The supporting tube 2! is of suf- 0d of the present invention; ficient length to permit its being grasped in the Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of the hand of the operator, and also extends downapparatus on the line 2-2 of Fig. l; wardly into a container indicated at 23. Ad-

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevational view of anjaoent the lower end of the tube 2! there is po- 20 other portion of the apparatus, parts being broksitioned an air distributing frame comprising an en away to more clearly show the construction n arged h ad portion 24 within which are fasthereof; and tened a plurality of curved tubular members 25 Fig 4 i an nd ti l vi w f th device 25 which are in communication with air tube 2|. 25 Shown i Fig 3, The members 25 are fastened together at their In P t t 1,352,267 issued t Le Rough lower ends in a connecting member 26 and are and assigned to the same assignee as this appli- Preferably Curved to conform S bsta tial y o cation, there is shown an apparatus and method the inner wall surface of the container 23 with 30 adapted for producing whipped cream, in which which they are to be used so that the structure 30 air is passed under pressure through the intery be de o app a h the Side and bottom stices in a porous stone to introduce the air into Walls Of the Container o e y, leaving no inacthe liquid in minute streams of finely divided cess b e areas.

bubbles. It has been found, as part of the pres- Adjacent their lower ends the tubes 25 are 5 ent invention, that if the air is caused to escape provided with a series of holes 21 from which the through openings in a movable member while air is adapted to be introduced into the body of the member is moved so as to suitably accelerate h liq Within e con iner 23. the arrangethe separation of the bubbles as the air escapes, a merit of the openings in the walls of the tubes suitably fine division of bubbles into such minute 25, and their sizes in coordination with air pres- 0 streams of finely divided bubbles can be secured Sure, being such that as the tubes are moved 40 without the necessity of having the'openingsof through the cream the escaping air is caused to such minute size, especially where the openings form into bubbles of smaller size than would be are arranged so that the movementof the pertrue if the tubes were stationary. That is, as forated member additionally helps to accelerate the tubes move the forming bubbles are p fine bubble formation. rated more quickly from the issuing stream of air 45 The drawing discloses a form of apparatus than would otherwise be the case--the effect of which lends itself quite satisfactorily to this suitthe movement being to accelerate the tendency ably fine bubble formation. In the embodiment of the air in the cream to form into separated of the invention thus illustrated, there isshown bubbles sothat finer bubbles result. The frame ahousing Ill supported upon resilient supporting structure is also provided with stirring arms 28, 50 members I I and having a removable cover porspaced alternately with the tubular members tion l2. The housing is preferably substantially 25, to provide additional stirring action during rectangular in form andwithin the housing there the use of the device. is positioned an electric driving motor IS. The The operation oi the device is as follows. A

motor is mechanically coupled by means of a belt liquid to be aerated is placedin the container 23, 55

and the motor ll is started todrive theair pump K bubble separationin the aerating process. Air

supplied under pressure to the tubular members is discharged from the perforations thereof, the perforations effecting an initial control over the size of .the air streams. It is thus found to be unnecessary to form the perforations of minute size approximating the dimensions of the fat globules, as the desired minute streams of finely divided bubbles, such as those disclosed in the above referred to Roush patent, are produced in accordance with the present invention as a rejectionably large, and consequently a series of these minute bubbles is formed. This operation has been found quite effective to produce aeration of a liquid, such for example as in the whipping of cream, and eifects such aeration in an extremely simple manner. The formation of the structure provides for its close approach to the walls of the container so that there is no body of untreated or unwhipped cream.

Control of the aeration process is afiorded by means of the air pressure control handle 11, providing for the supplying of controlled air pressure to the air distributing means. Further control also results from the rate of movement of the air distributing means through the liquid, more rapid movement tending to cause the production of bubbles of smaller size.

While the process and apparatus herein described constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise process and apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Process of aerating a liquid footstufi', such as the whipping of cream which comprises introducing air into the liquid in streams of predetermined small size, and simultaneously effecting relative movement between the liquid and said streams to efiect control of the formation of bubbles and to introduce the air into the liquid in minute streams of finely divided bubbles capable of eflecting the desired whipping action themselves, the movement being incapable of effecting a whippin action. a

2. Process of aerating a liquid foodstuff, such as the whipping of cream, comprising introducing air into the liquid foodstuff in fine streams at a plurality of points in the liquid spaced over a substantial area of the container and closely adjacent the bottom thereof, and producing movement of the liquid relative to said fine streams such as to carry the fine streams into the entire body of the liquid and to accelerate the tendency of the fine streams to form into minute streams of finely divided bubbles, the movement itself being insufficient to eflect the whipping action.

3. Process of aerating a liquid foodstuff, such as the wripping of dream, comprising introducing air into the liquid in fine streams from an air distributing member, and moving -the member slowly throughout the body of liquid to accelerate the tendency of the fine streams to form into separate minute bubbles and to efiect complete aeration of the entire body of liquid, the movement being so controlled as to avoid substantial mechanical aeration or whipping.

4. Process for the aeration of liquid foodstufis, such as the whipping of cream, which comprises supplying air under pressure to an air distributing member located within the liquid adapted to distribute air in fine streams, and simultaneously moving said air distributing member through the liquid at a controlled rate to accelerate the tendency of the air streams to form into separate finely divided bubbles capable of producing aeration of the foodstufi by themselves, the movement being sufiiciently slow so that no substantial mechanical aeration or whipping occurs.

5. Process for the aeration of liquid foodstuifs, such as the whipping of cream, which comprises introducing air into the liquid in streams of predetermined size.from an air distributing member located within the liquid, and effecting a slow relative movement between said member and the liquid such that no substantial mechanical aeration is produced, said movement providing for reducing the size of the formed bubbles to such fine ,size that the whipping action is produced by the bubbles themselves.

CURTIS RIEDEL. LEE ROUSH. 

